The present invention concerns steam pressing irons and principally irons having a self-cleaning device permitting cleaning of the steam chamber by abruptly precipitating therein a large quantity of water.
There are known the patent DE3405465 and the patent FR2769925 describing forms of construction of this type of iron, and patent application FR00/11562 that is an improved, advantageous form of construction. But these forms of construction have the drawback of not having a non-drip device to halt the flow of water to be vaporized during ironing when the iron is insufficiently hot.
Inversely, there is known the patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,224 that describes an iron having an effective non-drip function but not a self-cleaning function.
Among the irons that provide at the same time a self-cleaning function and a non-drip function, there is known a form of construction described in the patent FR2766214. But the cleaning function is effectuated by removing the rod that supports the plug of the drip device, which is not very practical. There is also known the patent WO9945190. Its description concerns a drip device in series with a non-drip device, the entirety being short-circuited by a self-cleaning valve, the manual control of which is separated from the drip control, which complicates the iron and its utilization.
The object of the invention is an economical, reliable steam pressing iron having a self-cleaning function and a non-drip function, not having the drawbacks cited.
Mainly, the object of the invention is achieved by a steam iron with instantaneous vaporization having a water reservoir, a steam chamber, a non-drip device, and a drip device having an axially displaceable rod characterized in that the total stroke of the axially displaceable rod comprises a first stroke assuring the flow of water for vaporization through the orifice of a module receiving water from the reservoir through the non-drip device, and a second stroke that simultaneously opens a direct passage for water from the reservoir toward the module and displaces the module while opening a larger orifice for the passage of water from the reservoir toward the steam chamber.
Thus, during normal ironing, water from the reservoir must pass through the non-drip device before reaching the module, then the steam chamber. The user regulates the position of the axially displaceable rod by the steam control.
When she wants to clean her iron, it is sufficient to completely push in the steam control. The rod then carries along the module, which opens a large passage for water, on the one hand between the reservoir and the module, on the other hand between the water surrounding the module and the steam chamber. The same control is thus utilized on the one hand to assure regulation of the steam flow rate and on the other hand to execute self-cleaning. When the self-cleaning takes place, the soleplate of the iron cools rapidly, but the non-drip is short-circuited and cannot oppose completion of the operation.
Advantageously, the control of vaporization and of self-cleaning comprises a cam acting on the rod, a first part of the cam having a slope that is shallower than the coefficient of friction of the materials in contact with the rod of the cam, and a second part of the cam having a steeper slope than said coefficient of friction.
Because of the shallow slope of the first part of the cam, its positioning is stable. This first part is suitable for the stroke of the axially displaceable rod during which water is vaporized.
The second part of the cam can assure the second part of the total stroke of the rod when one desires to perform self-cleaning. This steeper slope causes the positioning to be reversible, and the control more difficult, which avoids an accidental control of the self-cleaning. The user must maintain the control during this operation that is relatively infrequent, but rendered easy by these arrangements.
Preferably, the orifice of the module, the large orifice for passage of water opened by the module, the direct passage for water from the reservoir toward the module are circular and on the same axis.
As a result, the water circuit between the reservoir and the steam chamber is very short. The entrance of water into the chamber is abrupt and effective. The structure of the iron can be compact.
Preferably, the drip device and the module are contained in a vertical tubular body that isolate them from the water reservoir during ironing, the tubular body having at its lower part a tubular sealing joint, retractable with the module in the second stroke of the axially displaceable rod.
Due to this arrangement, the opening of a direct passage for the water from the reservoir toward the module is simplified. The module can directly carry along the joint by raising it without any mechanical intermediary.